Wife on Strike; Dad’s Army: The Animations; The Grave

“Combining the irresistible spectacle of dysfunctional family dynamics with a heady sense of justice, Wife on Strike was always going to be entertaining – but more than that, it proved politically poignant too. As workers around the world have long known, there’s nothing quite like a strike to prove your worth – and by framing domestic labour as work like any other, Wife on Strike lent its voice to a radical chorus dating back to the International Wages for Housework Campaign in the 70s.”
Emily Watkins, The i

“It’s cheap and cheerful stuff, but engrossing nonetheless. It might even prompt a few honest conversations in homes across the country. And it’s not exclusively husbands being shamed: future episodes will show up some equally lazy wives.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“This is good, old-fashioned War of the Sexes. But both Wassim and Sean, the abandoned spouses, didn’t play fair: one sent out for takeaways, the other delegated household duties to his teenage daughter. Since neither man seemed to lift a finger in his wife’s absence, it’s a mystery how their homes were so pristine at the end. Perhaps the producers sent in a team of cleaners.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“It was a silly, contrived show, but still entertaining.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“As is standard in animated shows, characters who aren’t speaking make minimal movements – so there isn’t scope to recreate one of the deepest joys of the show, which is Mainwaring realising half a second too late that Wilson has just dissed him. Happily, the first of the two new cartoon episodes, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker, has enough funny dialogue to compensate for the reactions being limited.”
Jask Seale, The Guardian

“The likenesses are good, particularly of Arthur Lowe as Mainwaring and a beetle-browed John Laurie as Private Frazer. John Le Mesurier, as Wilson, appears to be suffering from a hangover that might prove fatal. But all the sublime expressiveness of their faces is lost. When they talk, everything is motionless except for the mechanical open-and-shut of the jaw. It’s as though our beloved Home Guards are all botoxed rigid. Despite all this, there are moments of bliss to delight any fan.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The Grave was a wretched reminder of the horror that Ukraine’s people endure, and with a quiet dignity that is as remarkable as it is heartbreaking. Why was this excellent, important documentary put in the hidden-away slot of 10.45pm?”
Carol Midgley, The Times